Read Review

I just finished this debut novel from Australian-by-way-of-Ireland author Daniel O'Malley, who creates a Welsh character who lives in London (but visits Scotland). The novel begins with the protagonist, Myfanwy Thomas, waking up in a London park, with no memory, surrounded by dead men--all wearing purple robes and latex gloves. Then it gets weird. This is definitely somewhat of a genre-bending book because on one hand, it pokes a little bit of fun at the supernatural literary tradition, but on the other hand, it's an incredibly compelling, well paced and entertaining story. It's also very amusing in the places where British restraint collides with the truly bizarre--how do you retain your dignity when you're covered in slime? The "occurrences" and "horrors" are unique and far from overdone and a fresh originality shines through. So if a book on Her Majesty's Supernatural Secret Service piques your interest, then I highly recommend this and I look forward to reading more from O'Malley.